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Fund for independent research on bee decline and systemic pesticides

mar, 11/08/2011 - 22:32 — webmaster

Triodos Foundation requests your support for research
• Everywhere in the world a strong decline is observed in the presence of (wild) bees and other insects, playing a major role in pollination and reproduction of 80 % of wild plants and cultivated crops.
• Systemic pesticides are unprecedentedly poisonous for bees and other pollinating insects and are disastrous to the richness of insects in soil and water. Worldwide its use has increased in a period of 10 years to become the most widely used and strongest growing type of insecticide. Its application in ever increasing larger scale will not remain without consequences, not only for the insect richness of the planet, insect eating birds but eventually for humans as well. Insiders are extremely worried about this.
• On many places (partial) research is being done. However, there is a need for a coordinated and widely independent research by an international multidisciplinary team of honest scientists.

For this purpose, the international union for the conservation of nature and natural resources (IUCN) has created a scientific task group. The Dutch researcher Dr. Jeroen van der Sluijs, specialist integrated risk assessment in relation to environmental and health risks issues, has been approached by this international task group to lead this worldwide research. The hope and expectation is that this kind of research will result in a more complete and more balanced presentation of the state of knowledge as opposed to authorities issuing market allowance and ministries of agriculture that foremost base their decision on confidential research data provided by the producer of the poison themselves. Independent research can lead to a better understanding with the public and more willingness of institutional lawmakers and policy makers to take action to protect pollinators.

Until that point, in order to create a reliable understanding of the role these extremely dangerous pesticides play in the worldwide decline among pollinating insects, the necessary funds will have to come from private gifts and fundraisers. The companies that earn large sums of money on these chemicals, nor politics, are willing to contribute financially to a completely independent research.

In order to enable an international group of honest scientists and specialists to set up this extremely important research and find financial support for this, an initial support fund has been created at the Triodos Foundation with a starting amount where you can contribute your support. Contributions to this hereafter mentioned support fund are deductable for income tax following the common regulations.

What can you do?
Help. Contribute to the Research Fund IUCN Task Force Systemic Pesticides.